Wildlife

King penguin

King penguins are extraordinary parents. While one parent is guarding the chick, the other makes a trip of up to 400km (250 miles) in search of food. When the young are old enough, they are left with other juveniles so both parents can search for food. The adults return to the sea during the winter, leaving the chicks alone, and they are rarely fed during this time.

Planet Earth

Penguins run the gauntlet of ferocious fur seals to reach their hungry chicks.

Cameraman Ian McCarthy hitched a three-week ride on a tuna trawler through the notorious Roaring Forties to reach the obscure island where this behaviour had been reported. He and his camera equipment had to be sterilised to avoid contaminating the island. For the next four weeks, he braved Antarctic gales and the highly aggressive bull fur seals to capture this unique behaviour.

Distribution

The King penguin can be found in a number of locations including:
Antarctica. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the King penguin distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.